Three public Diwali programs on Saturday, November 7, offer different ways to spend the day. Seattle Center has six hours of performances and activities under one roof. The Detroit Institute of Arts is inviting visitors to make a flower-petal rangoli during a dance and storytelling program. In San Francisco, the Presidio is hosting a festival that brings Diwali and Día de los Muertos together while honoring each tradition separately.
Diwali is widely known as the Festival of Lights. Traditions differ across communities, but lighting small lamps called diyas is one of its most familiar practices. A rangoli is a pattern made on the floor, often near an entrance. Some designs use colored powder, while the Detroit program uses flower petals. You can see a related tradition from Tamil Nadu, called kolam, on the Seattle program.
Seattle: a free afternoon at the Armory
Diwali: Lights of India runs from noon to 6 p.m. Pacific at Seattle Center's Armory Food & Event Hall. Admission is free and the festival is open to the public. It is part of Seattle Center Festál, a series of free cultural festivals produced with community groups.
The stage opens at noon with a youth violin ensemble. The Nrityalaya School of Dance performs Bharatanatyam at 1 p.m., followed later by a Kuchipudi performance at 2:30 p.m. and Kathak at 3:10 p.m. A Kerala percussion ensemble is scheduled for 4:20 p.m., and the Swaranjali School of Music's Indian classical choir closes the program from 5 to 6 p.m.
There is activity away from the stage, too. The Armory floor schedule lists a flower mandala, a roti-making demonstration and free food from Northwest Share. The kolam display is listed in Loft 3. For a shorter visit, the posted schedule lets you choose a performance and leave time to see the displays without committing to the entire afternoon.
Detroit: storytelling, dance and a shared rangoli
Diwali at the DIA begins at 2 p.m. Eastern in Rivera Court at the Detroit Institute of Arts. Lalitha Ramamoorthy of the School of World Music and Dance will lead storytelling and dance. Visitors of all ages can add petals to a communal rangoli as the performance unfolds.
The event is included in general museum admission. Residents of Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties receive free general admission with identification. If you live outside those counties, choose general admission. The museum lists separate tickets for some special exhibitions, and its Diwali listing specifies only general admission for this program.
The museum is at 5200 Woodward Avenue in Midtown Detroit. Rivera Court is inside, so give yourself time to enter before the 2 p.m. start. The event page links to a museum map showing the court. The museum does not list a separate start time for the rangoli activity. It takes place during the performance.
San Francisco: two traditions at Presidio Tunnel Tops
The Presidio's Día de los Muertos and Diwali Festival runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Pacific at Presidio Tunnel Tops. The free event welcomes all ages. The park's listing links to registration and lists crafts, storytelling, dance, singing and a fire ceremony. The program brings South Asian and Latin American traditions together in one park program.
The event listing gives 210 Lincoln Boulevard as the destination. On public transit, the Presidio points visitors to Muni's 43 Masonic at the Presidio Transit Center or the 30 Stockton at the Sports Basement parking lot. The downtown Presidio GO shuttle also stops at the transit center. Drivers can find paid parking near the visitor center and transit center. The park also lists accessible parking.
